(Reuters) - An area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms located about 700 miles east-southeast of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean Sea has a 20 percent chance of developing into a cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday.

The system is expected to bring heavy rainfall to portions of the Lesser Antilles on Friday and Saturday, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.